Brandywine Tabs Ben Kay To Lead Men’s Basketball Program

MEDIA, Pa. -- Ben Kay has been named head men's basketball coach at Penn State Brandywine announced Director of Athletics Sarah Kurpel on Friday.

Kay joins the Brandywine athletic staff after two successful seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at West Chester University. During his first season at West Chester, Kay helped guide the Golden Rams to a top-25 ranking and the best record in program history as West Chester reached the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament championship and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Ben Kay to our Penn State Brandywine family. We had a very competitive men's basketball applicant pool to select from and Ben really stood out to us because of his experience and enthusiasm, said Kurpel. "Coach Kay is well known on the recruiting trail in the area. He will help us attract future Penn State graduates as well as run the kind of camps and clinics that engage the entire community."

"I'm really excited for the chance to work at such a prestigious university and would like to thank Sarah Kurpel and the rest of the athletic department for the opportunity to lead the Lions' men's basketball program," said Kay.

"After working under Head Coach Damien Blair at West Chester, I plan to bring the same core values of passion, accountability, communication and enthusiasm to Penn State Brandywine," added Kay. "Penn State is a school highly regarded for its academics and I hope to recruit the highest level student-athletes in the area."

Included among his duties at West Chester was scouting opponents, game planning both offensive and defensive strategies, running team and individual film sessions as well as fundraising. Kay was also the lead recruiter for the team, scouting high school and AAU games and working with coaches to recruit some of the most talented student-athletes in the mid-Atlantic region.

While at West Chester, Kay began a mentoring program for the men's basketball team, matching student-athletes with basketball alumni and business professionals. The goal of the mentoring program was to build relationships, while also teaching student-athletes professional skills and lessons necessary for a successful career outside of basketball following graduation.

Kay also co-directed West Chester's summer day camps and skills camps, which were some of the largest of their kind on the east coast, while also co-directing a team camp and high school league during the summer, annually featuring 30 teams from the Greater Philadelphia the area.

In 2012, Kay co-founded the Treasure Beach Jamaican Youth Basketball Camp and still serves as the camp director, currently. At the camp, which serves underprivilaged youth in Jamaica, teaching basketball skills and teamwork, Kay oversees 25 counselors and over 400 campers annually during the week-long event. He also manages the finances for the camp, which has fundraised $50,000.

Prior to his time at West Chester, Kay served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the Immaculata University men's basketball team. At Immaculata, he led recruiting in the tri-state area, while also aiding in all aspects of player development, game day preparation and opponent scouting.

Kay began his coaching career as an undergraduate student at Drexel University where he was a practice player and student assistant coach for the Dragons' women's basketball team for four seasons.

A 2012 graduate of Drexel, Kay earned his bachelor's degree in business and marketing. He is currently working toward earning a master's degree in public administration and sports management at West Chester.